Shut Up and Drive
by Tis Time for Tea
Summary: Honestly, between the mass cameras that not rest and this baffling man in a dark crimson suit whose smirk suggested a much darker intention…It all was…A little overdramatic, wasn’t it? This was just a car I was winning…How great could it be?
1. Step One: Seatbelts

**Disclaimer:** Will include MxM eventually.

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"Cloud…We need to talk."

Oh gods above, what was it this time? Honestly, sometimes…no, make that all the time, this little brown-haired brat gets on my nerves. Not only him, but his little redheaded girlfriend…Were they together? They seemed pretty close, after all. It's a wonder that they aren't already a couple…and why am I even thinking that?! My golden brow arched, even more than it did naturally, as my bright blue eyes narrowed into dangerous slits as I glared at the two opposite of me. They had waited until the one moment, the split second of every day where I let my guard down…I had seated myself on a couch and had taken up an old book I had borrowed off of a friend I no longer knew. Just as my fingers pulled apart the waves of pages and my eyes rested themselves on where they had left off, I was being dragged away from the chapter containing the climax of the story. Not only that, but my book had fallen carelessly to the floor and I could practically hear it crying out for help as the edges of its pages slowly yet surely began to bend underneath the pressure from above! Curse these two…Curse them to a fate worse than death!

"Uh…Cloud…A-Are you listening?" The stuttered had my mind stagger back into reality as my eyes came upon a slightly tanned face with rosy cheeks. At first, I couldn't understand just why the boy was making such an expression of fear until I realized that my stare must have intensified underneath my mind's wandering. I let out a small grunt to alert the two that, while I prayed for some instance that would tear me away from them, I was indeed listening to them. "Good. Anyway, me and Kairi have been thinking…For a while now…A long long long long long long long long long—"

"Would you get on with it?!" I heard myself growl, causing the two opposite of me to jump. They knew the risk they were taking by disturbing me during my daily read, and now they must face the consequences for doing so.

"Okay okay!! After watching you for a while…we decided that…you need a new…How'd you put it, Kairi?"

"Means of transportation?" the redhead piped in, tilting her head slight as if to recall this so-called discussion they had of me. When the boy nodded, she continued on taking his place. "Yeah, Cloud. No offense or anything but…your car right now…It's, err…well…"

"IT SUCKS!"

"Sora!!" Kairi's eyes widened at the boy's sudden blurt of opinion. Obviously she had been trying to let me down gently. Nice girl. "Sorry Cloud…But, Sora and I were just thinking that it would do you some good if you had a new car, was all…"

"Oh?" I asked, leaning forward now across the table that separated us. "If you two hadn't noticed, I don't exactly have the Munny for a new car. Kids these days…Don't even know how much cars cost…"

"We do so know how much they cost!" Sora retorted and I had to withhold myself from cringing as he grammatically destroyed his protest. "But this was after we had planned to ask people to donate to get you a new car…But anyway, that's why me and Kairi decided to sign you up—"

"Sign me up for what?!" Weren't there laws established that were supposed to prevent this sort of thing from happening? Just what were these two planning to do with my name and information?

"Geez, Cloud. Lemme finish a sentence, please. When we're done, _then _you can blow up in our faces, alright?" The blue-eyed boy let out a small sigh before he picked up from where I had cut him short. "Okay, as I was saying…we signed you up for this contest that we heard on the radio. The person whose name gets picked wins a one-of-a-kind car, free of charge, from Paragon Automotive! You know, that car company with those really sleek cars that go _Neeyohwwww!! _And _Bbbrrrryyyoooowwwnnn!!_ And—" Gods above, Sora was trying my patience. If it hadn't been for Kairi interrupting, my beige carpeting would have been stained a dark crimson.

"Anyway, the DJ said to call down to the station and so we did. He told us to listen in at exactly 6:15 P.M three days from when we signed up to see if we had won or not."

"So, you're telling me that this happened three days ago?"

"Yep!" The both replied with wide grins on their young faces. Somewhere inside of me, something snapped. I could feel my fingers twitching, itching to wrap themselves around one of their necks. My vision was beginning to tint to a bright red as I continued to stare at both of them. Who to kill? Well, I honestly couldn't hurt Kairi because, after all, she was a girl. However, that only left Sora open for an attack. Well…beggars can't be choosers or so the old saying went. Before I knew what was going on, I was flinging myself across my small kitchen table and tackling the boy out of his chair and down onto the ground. I heard Kairi shriek, but I didn't even cast a small glance in her direction. No, my eyes seemed locked on the target who was trying to wrestle out of my tight grip I had on his shoulders. Had it not been for his arms bending and his hands wrapping themselves around my wrists, my hands may have traveled straight to his smooth neck. Instead of fighting against his rather impressive strength for control of his neck and his breathing, I settled for shaking his violently back and forth by his shoulders.

"You're! Going! To! Pay! For! This!!" I yelled, stopping with every word to not only emphasize my words, but also the force at which I was shaking this boy beneath me who was making undulating groans every time his head was whipped back and forth.

"Cloud…?" My name had been spoken so softly, it had been a wonder I was able to hear it in my state of rage. My head slowly creaked enough for my eyes to take in the sight of Kairi sitting upon my couch with the small portable radio set upon the coffee table, its volume turned up as far as it could go. It was the energetic voice from the radio that cut the sudden silence that fell upon the three of us.

"Hey guys and gals, DJ Demyx here, the most favorite and lovable of all disc jockeys." Automated applause break. "Anyway, I think you all out there know why I'm here. That's right, it's time to announce the winner of our latest contest. You remember the one, right guys and gals? That's right! Paragon Automotive's contest to debut their newest, fastest, glossiest, coolest, most awesome car to date!! Representatives have explained that this car will introduce, like always, a one of a kind engine! Specially customized for the driver of said car! So, let me stop the teasin' and just let you know who won? Alright, drum roll please!" Automated drum roll before cymbals clashing together. "Woohoo!! It looks like the winner of this car is…Cloud Strife!! Congratulations, Cloud Strife!! You have the next three hours once I go off the air to come on down to our radio station, WHUT, to claim your new car! Oh, and if you have an old clunker set of wheels, make sure you bring that down with you, too! We'll take care of that old sucker for you!! So once again, congratulations to Cloud Strife and for the rest of you guys and gals out there, who entered, better luck next time!!"

Kairi was jumping up and down now, her hands high above her head as a wide smile was painted on her face.

"Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! We won, we won!!" She was exclaiming as she began hopping all around my small living room, clapping her hands.

"Better start thanking us, huh Cloudie?" Sora chuckled beneath me, finding a momentary lapse in my grip to slither out from underneath me and joined Kairi as they started a little victory dance. They clasped hands and were jumping up and down in a circle laughing to themselves.

I sat there on my linoleum floor, not believing that these two brats had actually caused me to win something. A brand new car…It was unthinkable, too good to be true! The proof was there though; it had just been spoken to everyone who was in earshot of a radio. They had all heard my name over the speakers and were either applauding in my victory or envying my win. Time seemed to freeze just for me to calm myself. It…was difficult to take something such as this all in at once. I hadn't even been aware that these two had been plotting something such as this, after all. I let out a deep sigh as a hand went to one of my temples and delicate fingers began to rub the skin there. I needed to lie down…But with these two balls of energy in my home, I doubt my wish would have been realized…

"Cloud c'mon!! We gotta get down to the station so we can claim your car!!" Sora was shouting in front of me as Kairi was still jumping up and down. "C'mon, c'mon, we only got three hours!!" He began tugging on my free hand to haul me up onto my feet. Somehow he managed this by himself. I found myself constantly forgetting just how strong this boy was. "Kairi, grab his old car keys so we can go!!" The next thing I knew, I was being forced out of my own apartment while the faint jingling of my keys accompanied me.

---

The drive over to the station had been a blur. Lost somewhere among the rattling of my old, dark blue compact and the cheers of the daring duo behind me. When we pulled up the dull, short, brown building's parking lot, there was a crowd waiting, some of them armed with cameras and microphones. Just what I wanted on what was to be a quiet evening at home. As soon as I pulled my keys out of the ignition and opened the door, I was assaulted with the seizure-causing lights of camera flashes. Sora and Kairi seemed to be enjoying the limelight seeing as how they were posing for almost every flash that came their way. I merely groaned before a tall, tanned man with wild silver hair approached me and outstretched his hand for me to shake which I did.

"Congratulations on winning our latest achievement in automobiles." He said to me, a tone hinting with arrogance that apparently came with the dark red suit he was wearing. No doubt he came from Paragon Automotive with that attitude and air of an assumed regality. "I do believe you will find this model to your liking." He then led me away from my clunker of a car and through the sea of paparazzi. It was almost biblical the way his merely standing in front of them was enough to part the sea. Beneath the sea was a strip of red carpet leading to a platform consisting of four ramps in each direction with a matching red sheet shrouding the car that I had won. A little overdramatic, wasn't it? This was just a car I was winning…How great could it be? I found myself following this man down the red carpet leading up to the car and I felt Sora and Kairi press themselves on either side of me. We all came to a stop before the platform which the man ascended alone. He turned about face towards us and the crowd of unwavering cameras. There was a smirk on his face as he spoke again, this time for the microphones. "I, Xemnas, am proud to present to you, Cloud Strife, a car like no other. A car in a class of its own." He reached a hand out to grip a section of the red sheet as he continued to speak. "Behold! I give you…!" He trailed off as his hand yanked the sheet up and away, the sound of it whipping through the air followed by a collective gasp was the precursor to a break of silence. "…The L.E.O.N Edition!"

I would be lying through my gaping mouth if I said I didn't want this car. It was a shimmering onyx underneath the setting sun's rays. It was low and long with tinted windows of black. Its headlights were wide and bright, almost as if they were eyes all their own. There were hollow strips on metal on its sides that ended before it reached the trunk. Upon the trunk was could have been mistaken as its wing…there was a specific name for those fanned out pieces of metal upon a car's backspace, wasn't there? The name escaped me in my awestruck state. There were no handles on this car which could only mean its doors were automated. However, there was a small white circle where a keyhole would have gone had it been a car of today. Along the windows edges was a clear strip of material that would occasionally flare up with dim yellow lights chasing after one another. On the very front edge of the car's hood was Paragon Automotive's signature symbol: A circle encasing a capitalized 'A' with a lower case 'p' hanging like a hook from the bridge in between the two slanted lines that made up the capital letter. Needless to say that my previous car was far from my mind as I continued to stare at this mastery of a vehicle.

"Completely environmentally friendly, this car releases little if no emissions into the air. Friendly, yet fierce. This car has over 330 horsepower and can go from 0 to 90 in 2.5 seconds flat." Xemnas explained as he traced a light hand over my car and I couldn't help the twinge of fury that ran through my body. How dare he lay a hand on my car! "The L.E.O.N Edition, the Leading Electrical Optimized Nitro Edition. Yes, this car comes with nitro just for that extra rush of adrenaline. So, what do you say?" He held up a single golden key with his corporation's symbol hanging from it by a chain. "Care to take it for its first drive?" He stepped down from his pedestal and firmly pressed the key into my hands. He gave a final nod and as if it was some cue, the cameras began shuttering and flashing once more.

I merely glanced down at the key in my hand, only for a moment before I was interrupted.

"Cloud, you gonna drive it now?" Sora asked, his tone more questioning that it should have been. No doubt he was expecting a ride seeing as how he and his friend were the cause for my success.

"Why not? But…" I turned around to the man who had handed me the key. "…what about my old car?" The man merely turned with the smirk still on my face before he waved his hand as if to dismiss the matter. I felt my brow furrow, but my mind turned my attention back to the vehicle in front of me. I ran a hand over its cool surface and I swear I could have felt a pulse beneath my fingertips. I shook the feeling off before my eyes fell to the small white circle upon my car. Puzzled a bit, I reached a finger up and pressed the button-like surface. Something warm and the color of morning grass lit up the underside of my fingertip and I immediately jerked it back with a gasp leaving my lips. The entire car lit up once before all of its doors opened, allowing me my first look at its interior. The seats, the dashboard, the roof…All were the color of a dark cream yet still retained a sort of light. There were no dials within this car which puzzled me at first until my eyes spotted a screen in place of where these knobs usually were. Licking my bottom lip I allowed myself to sink into the car's interior and watched with astonishment as the door closed itself for me. I felt the car sink even closer to the ground with the two sets of extra weight in the back.

"Whoaaa…" Sora breathed leaning forward between the driver and passenger seat to closely inspect the dashboard and all, or rather none, of its controls. "…whoaaa…"

"How do you start it, Cloud?" I heard Kairi ask and it was then that I realized that there was no ignition for this car. I leaned forward and backwards and upwards and downwards, but I could not spot anything remotely close to a key slot.

"I'm…" I drew out this word as I rest a hand upon the smooth black steering wheel. Just as my fingers gripped the wheel, a small _'beep'_ sounded from somewhere in the car. My ears couldn't pinpoint exactly where. Before we knew what was going on, a genderless computerized voice addressed us.

"Welcome to the newest invention of Paragon Automotive, the L.E.O.N Edition. This vehicle has been synced with its driver's fingerprint and now only the driver's fingerprint will be able to activate any of this vehicle's functions. All devices in this vehicle have the option of being voice controlled. The touch screen to the driver's lower right will display a variety of information and can be customized to the driver's personal preference. Spoken commands will be displayed upon the touch screen. Driver, would you care to learn how to operate this vehicle?"

"Uhh…" the fact that a car was speaking to me was rather odd and awkward. Normally I would lock my eyes with another individual's, but…any simpleton could point out that cars had no eyes to gaze into. "…yes…?" There was a resounding beep before the computerized voice addressed me again.

"Manual or Pilot mode?"

"Uh…manual…?"

"Please place both hands on the steering wheel." I did as I was told, though I felt as if I had been reduced to a teenager who had just received a permit and was now driving for the first time. "Please place one foot upon the brake. Please press one finger to the center of the steering wheel." Once this action had been done, the face of the wheel separated into two pieces which slid away to reveal a circle almost identical to the one on the outer side of the driver's door. "This is your vehicle's ignition. Press and hold the button in order to initiate the engine. Perform the same action to power down the engine." No sooner than when I had set my finger upon the "ignition," did a roar from underneath the car's hood sound before dying down to a mere purr. "Enjoy your L.E.O.N Edition."

"Can we take the long way home?" Sora asked still leaning between the two front seats as he stared at the previously blank screen that now displayed the weather, the time, the electrical gauges, the speed, and the status of the engine. "Check it out, Cloud!" the boy exclaimed in wonderment before I shoved him to the back of the car.

"Seatbelts, you two." I ordered them and, despite the grumbling from the brunette behind me, I heard them obey. I myself strapped myself in before I gripped the wheel in front of me. "Let's see what makes the L.E.O.N so great." I turned an eye to the touch screen and noticed that there was a large, white 'P' set in the top left hand corner of the screen. "Hmm…Set L.E.O.N to Drive…?" I had no idea if such a command would have even worked, but seeing as how just advanced this car was…It wouldn't hurt to try. To my surprise and glee, the car had heard me and the 'P' morphed itself into a large, white 'D'. The engine gave a small roar as its gears shifted and I could not hide the small smirk that began to work its way onto my face. I set my foot atop the accelerator and added a little weight, causing the car to ease itself down the one of the four ramps it sat upon. As soon as I felt its wheels introduce themselves to asphalt, I applied more pressure and the car took it upon itself to spin its wheels even faster. As we cruised further and further away from the cameras and questioning microphones, I could honestly say that I felt as though I was hovering. The feel of the car was so…tranquil, so even. My body began to relax itself in the cushiony seat behind and beneath it. I almost felt as if I didn't even need to control this car…That if I had asked, then it would have been more than happy to oblige to my request.

Once again, the drive had been a sort of blur to me. I almost scolded myself for my murky mind losing the last minutes I had spent in this magnificent car. It was still a wonder to me that I was now the sole owner of this unique thing. My finger reached up, pressing and holding the button that had been hidden beneath my steering wheel. By my finger the engine's purr diminished into nothing and the car itself seemed to die. I had dropped off Sora and Kairi at their respected homes, and now I sat alone in front of my apartment building. I let out a small sigh, knowing the eventually I would have to slide myself out of the L.E.O.N and make my way grudgingly upstairs. Better do it now than later…Any longer and I might have found myself to be asleep in this car of mine.

I pushed open the door and shut it just the same way. As if knowing that there was no one else inside, the locks sounded and the car beeped twice. Smart thing, it was I had to say. Hard to imagine it even existed. Though, I couldn't exactly give all credit to the vehicle. No, most of it belonged to that engine underneath the twinkling hood. Ah, curiosity was such a strange thing and could cause a man to make one a many a mistakes. Needless to say that my curiosity was peaked and I could not resist even the tiniest glance at the power source of my new car. I crept up to the front of my car, such as a young child would do to tiptoe past their slumbering parent. I took in a breath and held it as both of my hands found the front latch of the hood. What could be underneath it? A monster of an engine with pistons that pumped up and down when the car was running? A compact little thing that was the same size as my fist? I couldn't make myself wait anymore so I merely threw the cover open.

My eyes widened at the sight of my…engine. It was…It was…uhh….a… man?!? A…naked…man…?! I blinked once, twice… and then I had to tear my eyes away from the man before I slowly turned them back. He was still there. I wasn't imagining things. I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but nothing would dare find its way up my throat. The still setting sun took care of any words for me, better than words even. The dastardly thing shone its rays right into the man's shut eyes and to my astonishment they twitched!! Slowly I stepped back from my car, my entire body freezing after that. My eyes were widened with horror as I watched the man raise his head of wild chocolate brown hair and glare with stormy eyes towards me. He lifted an arm that had been imprisoned in a sort of navy blue gauntlet with neon blue markings that ran up to his elbow. He was able to grip the front edge of the car and lift the top half of his body up, his glare upon me only intensifying. I was able to spot a few cables attached to this gauntlet of sorts leading back into the normally hidden compartment. As if I wasn't in such a dangerous state of shock, this man, or rather my engine, only added to my shock. By speaking…

"Just who do you think you are, disturbing me like that?"

My world faded to black and began to float away as my mind decided to shut down, my body could only follow…

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**Author's Note:** So this is a little bit of a crazy concept I've had for a little while now, but haven't found the time to write. I decided to start it and see if I receive some positive (or negative) feedback to continue it (or not). Let me know what you think and if this should go on or not?

_Grazi._


	2. Step Two: Mirrors

Ugh, my head was spinning, whirling with thought after thought. What had happened? Did I _really_ just faint? Why? Where was I even? Am I on the ground? Please tell me there isn't gum on the back of my head…! I felt my chest tremble as a groan traveled up from my lungs, past my throat, and right out from between my rough lips. I felt one of my eyes garner enough energy to lift its heavy lid to peer out beyond the darkness. Almost immediately my pupil contracted as a rush of brilliant white light began to engulf my eye. Ugghh…Damn sun…Hold on…The sun wasn't _this_ white…And it was never this close to someone's face…And it never sank this low. My eye rolled over, my other baby blue now joining it in its little journey, and spotted two bright white orbs staring back. It took my mind a little while to realize that these two orbs were in fact not the sun…but headlights. Headlights of car…! Oh crap, had I been run over? No…No…I didn't _feel _like I had been run over…whatever that felt like anyway. I let out a sigh to try and relax my dazed and foggy mind. As I sat up, I heard someone address me in a gruff and slightly annoyed tone.

"Finally! Next time you plan on lying on the ground for five hours, how about a little warning, huh?" I suspected this person was the driver of whomever's car was parked right next to me. However, I couldn't see them…All thanks to those high beams still pouring into my eyes. "Hey! Don't just lay there, get up already!" As if their words were strings to my limbs, I found myself complying to their rather rude order. I braced my hands behind myself and bent my knees, allowing my feet to plant themselves on solid ground. I grunted a bit as both my feet and hands pushed themselves on the asphalt beneath me, allowing the rest of my body to lift itself. Now standing I let out another sigh as I slowly turned towards the car, about to thank its driver for taking time out of their life to check up on me. However, my eyes saw no one there…Well…no one save for the one whom had caused my fainting in the first place. Yes, it was all coming back to me now…Winning the car, Sora and Kairi, the smirking man in the suit, flashing cameras, new car, coming home…All of the memories came back in a sort of whirlwind overtaking my mind. I had to place a hand against my forehead to try and halt my twirling mind. My eyes widened at the man who was still settled within the hood of my car. My mouth opened to speak, even formed a word to speak, but my head could not bring about anything to spit out. Instead, a small silence began to grow between us before the brunette decided to smash it to pieces. "So…are you going to stand out here all night, or are you gonna let me get some rest?" Only his top half was still visible to me which I was incredibly thankful for. His head was propped on one of his blue gauntleted hands whilst the other disappeared somewhere within the confines of the hood behind him.

"R-R-Rest…?" I echoed, much to the other's irritation as I soon found by his brow arching and a small scowl forming on his face.

"Yes, r-r-rest." He repeated, the agitation in his voice dripping right past his full pink lips. "If you plan on driving this car tomorrow, either you—" He was cut off by me…slamming the cover of the car down on him. I could practically feel his glare boring through the material and right through my head. I could go as far to say I heard a few curses coming from the thin barrier between us. I would apologize…but I needed a moment. With each word he continued to speak, the shock I had felt before only returned with reinforcements. Okay, Cloud…Let's just tally up what's happened today: 1) Won a car. 2) Drove new car home. 3) Open car to find naked man. 4) Naked man starts talking. There, that didn't sound too shocking, right? Right, this was all just—Oh who the hell was I kidding? I flung the hood of the car open, my fingers still gripping its edge. I was met with the deadliest glare I've ever received in my life and the worst grimace imaginable. A quick gauntlet reached out and gripped the front of my dark green sweatshirt, pulling me down as far as my taut arms would already allow. Before he could even think to say anything, I was already blurting something out.

"Whattheheckareyoudoinginmycar?"

"What?" he questioned, one of his eyebrows rising in an inquisitive fashion. I repeated what I had jumbled together. "Why do you think? I'm your engine." He said this through gritted teeth as if what he was saying was some age-old fact that he had to repeat to 200 people, twice per person.

"But…But that's not right! Engines are metal, run on oil; need to be checked every few months!" I exclaimed, a little harshly to tell the truth.

"Sorry to disappoint you." The apology had nothing but sarcasm behind it. "But whether you like it or not, I'm your engine and this car won't run on anything else but me." He held up his other gauntleted hand, a thick blue cable snaking its way from the front of his wrist and receding behind him. I followed its trail slowly with my eyes and found it connected to a sort of thin, glittering blue metal belt around the man's bare waist. It was then I noticed he was fitted into the car lying on his stomach, his legs couldn't be seen however. Unfortunately, my eyes could not stop themselves before they grazed over the two slightly tanned hills that were this man's bum. I immediately shut my eyes and when I opened them again I was greeted with the same scowling face that had been speaking to me. "So, can I get an apology for you slamming my head in?"

"I'm…sorry." I heard myself say and the grip on my sweatshirt was released just like that. I felt my arms drop from above my head to my sides, swinging back and forth a few times before coming to a rest. "It's…just a lot to…to take in right now…" The face before me made no move whatsoever to transform itself into a sort of sympathy. It was almost as if my engine expected me to know just what sort of source held the influence over the vehicle. How was I supposed to know such a thing? Well…I had been told by that Paragon Automotive representative that I now owned a car in a class of its own…but—

"Whatever." The mumble had been so quiet that I was surprised that I had heard it at all, especially with my mind skipping along with every questioning thought that entered my mind. I blinked slowly once, twice. "Just let me get some rest…" I could almost hear the faint hint of fatigue in the brunette's voice as he laid himself back down within the darkness. There was a bit of shuffling on his part before he seemed to be nestled in a position he could call comfortable. The next thing I knew, the cover of the hood of the car slammed down with neither of our hands upon it. The sight had taken me aback and I stumbled a few steps away from my car. The high beams that had been flowing into my eyes had been dammed and now before me I could spots of a sickeningly bright green and a nauseating yellow. I rubbed both of my eyes furiously as I took yet another step back from my car, groaning slightly as I did so. I let out a huff as I opened my eyes to the dark asphalt beneath my feet and spotted annoyingly familiar streaks of green and yellow passing me by.

Well…what else was there to do? Too much had happened already today and I wasn't particularly keen on the idea of letting anything else occur. Before that happened, I would be in my bed, comforter tugged way over my blond hair, and the door to the room locked. Now that I thought about it…the idea was quite tempting…And my body was just now revealing to me how tired it was. Let's see if I could get any sleep tonight...

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**Author's Note:** Sorry for the incredibly late update and the incredibly short chapter. It's not as meaty as I would have wanted it to have been, but it does get some explaining across, if any at all that is. Chapter 3 is in the works and will hopefully be meatier and up sooner than chapter 2.


	3. Step Three: Adjust the Seat

So that little idea I had in my head the night before about getting sleep? Ha, it didn't happen...Maybe it was the anxiety running through my veins with my blood…Maybe it was the dog next door who would _not_ quit barking at the darkness engulfing its home. Why did I even buy this place when I knew the couple next door had a little yappy dog…? Ugh…I guess I could do something a little more productive than berating myself on something I'd done a few years ago. Like…make some coffee. Ah, that was exactly what I needed this morning. In fact, my need was apparently so great that my nose could already distinguish the floating, heavenly aroma of the caffeinated beverage. Must have been my weary mind…

My baby blue eyes slowly trailed themselves over to my night-side table, glancing at the toxic green digits burning brightly against a black background. 11:41? Or was the 11 somehow a 7? My hands reached up to rub my straining eyes while my legs bent and kicked the white, puffed comforter away from my body. My feet, with a bit of searching, found the rugged carpet of my bedroom floor. One of my hands planted itself upon the mattress, pushing my body into an upright position. How awkward did I look continually rubbing my eyes while my feet stumbled over themselves towards the door that had been locked the night prior? The stinging sensation shooting from my toes up my leg and back down again meant I had found the door. With a flick of the wrist and a small _'click'_, the door was unlocked and pulled open. My hands dropped away from my face as the smell of roasted coffee became even more pungent. I continued my stumbling into the living area of my apartment, a small kitchen conjoined off to the side. I passed my loveseat on the way towards the kitchen, failing to notice a certain pair of bodies upon it. The only thing that my eyes were fixated on and my sleep-deprived mind would let me think about was coffee at this point in time.

"G'morning, Cloud." called a voice from somewhere beyond my line of vision.

"Mmhmmwhayeahsss…hnnnmmmcoffee…" came my response…if it could have even been called that. A limp hand was tossed into the air towards the direction of the voice while the other reached for a clean mug off of my drain board. I turned almost shut eyes onto the steaming coffee pot and quickly filled up my cup. A bit of creamer, a dash of sugar, and the warm, brown liquid was meeting my lips before passing through, heading straight for my stomach. "Ahhhh…." I sighed with relief as I felt warmth spread from my chest to my limbs. Just what I needed. I took another long sip, letting out yet another relieved sigh. My awakening eyes then turned themselves to my loveseat, only now seeing the two people occupying it. I blinked slowly before bringing the cup to my lips yet again, as if to continue the process of waking myself up. Three sips and I think I was awake…This all felt too real to be a dream…which meant…"How the hell did you two get in here?"

"Oh, so we're not ghosts anymore?" Sora smirked, relishing the frown that appeared on my face. Cheeky little brat… "You really need to remember to lock your front door. A burglar could come in, or someone worse."

"A burglar, hell, even a serial axe murderer would be better than waking up and seeing your faces in the morning." I retorted, my grip on the cup increasing. "What are you two even doing here anyway? Do I even want to know?"

"We just came to check up on you." Kairi stated simply, her hands hidden beneath her thighs and maroon plaid skirt. "I was actually supposed to go to the grocery store today for my mom, and Sora wanted to come along so—"

"We were just passing by, really." The brunette filled in, that stupid smirk still on his face. "So how's the car, Cloud? Kairi and I haven't gotten a 'thank you' yet~…" he spoke the last part in a singsong voice with a waving finger to accompany it.

"You will never hear those words come out of my mouth for you, Sora." I growled, my eyes darkening now.

"And why's that?" he was standing now. "If it wasn't for me and Kairi, you'd still be driving that crap you call a car!"

"My car wasn't 'crap', Sora! It was fine, got me to where I needed to go. But no, I obviously didn't want it anymore, so Kairi and you performed a civic duty, didn't you?" Our voices were beginning to rise now.

"Heck yeah we did! As if anyone in their right mind would drive something like that. Not only that, but it wasn't like it looked good!"

"What's that compared to a car that actually works?"

"I'd rather be dead than be seen in something like that!"

"That can be arranged, Sora!" I made a few steps towards him, my coffee long since forgotten on the counter, and my hands clenched into fists. Before I could even bring my arm back to take a swing, Kairi stood up abruptly and piped in.

"Cloud, please don't! Please don't be mad at Sora. You know how stupid he can be." There was a small 'hey' from the younger boy before she turned to him. "And Sora, you know how Cloud likes to have his privacy and keep his things to himself. He's just sensitive that way." Now it was my turn to let out a small 'hey'. She then turned to the both of us, her hands together as if she were ready to pray. "So can we please just put all of that aside for some peace and quiet?"

There was a sheet of silence before it was broken by Sora.

"Yeah…sure." He threw an eye over towards me and though I rolled my own, I nodded my head in agreement. The boy let out a small sigh, crossing his arms over his chest now. "Hey Cloud?" He waited for me to acknowledge him. "Why'd you leave your car on last night?"

"…What?" the question rocked me as I tried to remember back to last night. I had…as outlandish as this sounds…had a fight with my car's engine. I had figured that when he dismissed me, he had just turned himself off…I mean he was the engine after all. He could do that, couldn't he?..."W-Why do you say that?"

"We heard the engine running when we came up. It would get louder before dying back down, but then it would get louder again…I think you might want to get it checked." Sora continued with a shrug of his shoulders. "Hope we didn't win you a bum car in a scam or something like that."

"Stay here." I commanded both of them before I was out the door in nothing but a pair of black sweatpants. I slammed it shut and made my way down the hallway toward the stairs. Elevator was out of order today…Just my luck. Bounding down step after step I soon made it my building's lobby, a few short breaths leaving me on the way. I pushed open the double doors and walked right into the blinding sun. With a slight groan as my pupils contracted and my eyes regained their composure I scanned the front parking area for my car. It wasn't hard to find…what with the other older models surrounding it. As I neared it, I could tell that what Sora had said had been true. My car…was on? No...but the engine was running, I think? The rumblings coming from it weren't steady as it would have been with one of the other cars around, but they would become intense for a few moments before the volume would drop. My hand itched to open the hood, and yet something within me hesitated. Did I want to know what he was doing in there?...The hidden latch sprung and I pulled the cover up. I set my eyes down to see that he…was sleeping? His eyes were loosely shut, his broad chest rose and fell with each soft snore he gave off, and his body was relaxed for the first time that I had seen. Wait a second…was this even possible? I mean…he was an engine, right? Which meant he was a machine…which meant he couldn't sleep…right? Agh, I didn't need this sort of thinking in the morning!

"Nnn…" he whined once the sun's rays had been able to hit his eyelids. Oh great! Quickly and yet as quietly as I could I attempted to shut the hood. Maybe he wouldn't notice. Maybe he wouldn't question it. Maybe— "Just leave it open…" Damn.

"Sorry." I began immediately. "It's just that I heard the eng—you, and I thought I had left the car on."

"You did." Was the simple response that came from his mouth. He lifted the top half of him with one arm while he used to the other to stretch himself out. A yawn came from his mouth as did a rev from the car. The two of them were so incredibly synced; it was almost unnatural and frightening. "I could only put it in a low-energy state, but I can't completely shut it off. Future notice: I may be the engine of this car, and I may be able to control it, but there's only so much I can actually do." He seemed much tamer now. No snippy remarks, no glares…nothing. Was he tired? "So Cloud…— " I had to cut him off.

"You know my name?" I questioned with wide eyes.

"Not just your name. I would say almost everything about your technical information." Before I could even ask 'how', he must have seen the question on my face. And that worried me. "Your fingerprint from when you approached me for the first time. I received your DNA imprint and had it sent to the PAD, or the Paragon Automotive Database. From there, I left it to the geniuses at the computer to search for your records in the government's servers and files. They then routed it back to me and I have it stored within my memory." Another yawn came from him while the car revved again. He lazily gazed up at me and tilted his head to the side a bit. "Something wrong?"

"H-How can that even be possible?" He was about to go into the explanation again, but I stopped him with a hand. "So…you know everything about me?"

"Anything that has been entered into the government's records and files, I have." The response sent a shockwave through my body. Had it really been so simple to gain my written information? He had my life stored inside of him now, and it was with this thought that I slumped to the ground. He was now looking down at me, the lazy look in his eye still remaining. "As if any other official couldn't have pulled your records." He didn't understand…how could he? He was only a machine…It was only fitting that he not have any emotions.

"Why?" I asked, my head bowed at my eyes stared a spot of asphalt before me. "Why do you need my information?"

"Two main aspects: Security and Personalization with the Driver." He spoke this as if the question had been a designated one with a programmed answer. "To avoid the possible situation of a carjacking or imposter wanting to gain access to the Driver's vehicle. Also to study the Driver and modify the vehicle to his/her liking and personal preferences."

"It's not optional?"

"No." his normal tone had returned, but it had a small ring of despair to it. That was when I looked up to find a frown on the other's face and his brow slightly furrowed. "If it was, I wouldn't have done it. I know now that you like to keep certain things to yourself and you treasure privacy."

"…" At first I didn't say anything. I had no idea if this apology was genuine or not…it sure sounded like it. But then again, he was only apologizing because he knew this about _me_. He now knew things about myself that perhaps I didn't. But then again…he had been forced to do a background search on me. He had been programmed to do this when he was…invented, right? What was he but an empty shell with someone else's life withstanding in his mind now? Whoa…was I personifying him a little too much? "It's alright. Besides, it's like you said, any official could have done it. Just…try to warn me the next time you're about to make a decision like that."

"Understood, Driver."

"Uh…can't you call me something other than 'Driver?' I asked, trying to make it at least somewhat polite. The idea of me ordering him around didn't sit too right on my head.

"Certainly." He then straightened his body a bit before he began running through a list that must have already been programmed into his, err…brain, I guess. "Sir? Mister? Your name? Master?"

"Master?" the last one had caught me off-guard to say the least, but my jumpy outburst must have confirmed that that was the name I wished to be called for there was a thrill of beeping from somewhere on him and he nodded his head.

"Master it is then."

"No no, no! Cancel that or something! Don't call me that!"

"You don't like it, Master?" he asked, tilting his head slightly to the side with a slight worried expression on his face. The question caused me to groan internally. I slapped a hand to my face and gave out a sigh. "Master, is something wrong?"

"I…" I trailed off, the hand still to my face. Ah, I'd just have to fix this later. I didn't have the time nor the energy to actually go through whatever process it was to correct him. "No, it's fine…just…Just give me time to get used to it, I guess…" He nodded his head at that. I wanted desperately to change the subject away from me, so I did. "But…what do I call you? I can't really keep referring to you as 'my engine', can I?"

"You can." He replied, not really catching my sarcasm in his tame state. "But you may refer to me as my model name, L.E.O.N."

"Alright." I said with a small sigh at the end of it. I was about to shut the hood after that, but he stopped me.

"Master, you have received a notice from the head of Paragon Automotive." Another programmed response. I don't think I would ever become used to them. "You can view it on the screen inside."

"Thanks." I gave the word up habitually before I lowered the cover. Wouldn't want any passerby to see a naked man acting as the engine to a car now. I moved to the driver's side of the car, pressed my finger to that little white circle upon it and wait while the door opened itself. Not to my surprise there was indeed a floating envelope upon the screen of the screen that took up most of my dashboard. With a bit of hesitance I put my finger to it, touching it slightly before it opened to reveal a video message. Then, my screen was filled with the bust of that representative from Paragon Automotive…His name was…Xemnas, wasn't it?

"Hello Cloud Strife. I would just like to take this opportunity to congratulate you once again for winning out latest prized possession, the L.E.O.N Edition vehicle. I've taken the liberty of providing for you a document instruction manual already installed within your car as well as your engine, just in case. I assume you've already encountered the L.E.O.N's…" he took a small break to let out a snicker with a sly smirk on his face. "…special engine, yes?" It was as if he could read the slight glare that I allowed my eyes to show to his still smirking face. "Well then, all I can ask is that you do not…oh, how should I put it, exploit this gift that's been given to you. That is all. Anyway, happy driving." He gave a wave to the camera before the screen went black and returned to the 'Home' area of the menu. The envelope then flew into the small shredder icon which I soon deduced was like any computer's trash can. Had that been all he wanted to let me know? I gave a shrug of my shoulders before I checked the clock, realizing that I had spent some time out here. Weren't Sora and Kairi…still in my apartment…Lovely…

I eased my way out of the car and after I had taken a few steps away from it, the door shut itself. Huh. That was something I could get used to. I moved to the front of the car, lifting the hood of the car once more and peering down at L.E.O.N who had been resting part of his head upon his metallic gauntlet. He seemed so unnaturally tired…but then again, he did tell me that he had been able to put the car into a low-power state, right? And the two were synced indefinitely so…It only made sense, right? Look at me, trying to reason with the fact that a naked man in my brand new car is my engine for it.

"Uhm…" I saw him lift only his eyes towards me, nothing else. "…That lower-power state you were talking about before? I'm going to need that turned off…"

"Yes Master." He simply replied, much to my chagrin, but nevertheless obliged to my request. With that gauntlet he stroked the bottom of the small chamber he was in before it disappeared beneath his body, as if searching for something on it. Whatever his hand had been looking for, it must have found it for my engine's eyebrows scrunched slightly before he took in a sharp breath just in time for the rest of the vehicle to rev and give off a series of crescendoing beeps. Almost immediately, L.E.O.N livened up as if regaining his major source of energy. He then brought his face up as he braced the top half of him up with both of his gauntleted hands. "Plan on driving today, Master?" His eyebrows regained that incriminating arch and a familiar frown was placed on his face. Did I take more solace in this state of him than the other?

"You could say that." I told him, placing both of my hands on the hood, ready to slam it shut. "I'll return soon." I then put my weight behind my hands to help them bring the cover down on the other man. Well…might as well go kick those to thorns in my side out of my home.

"Whaddya mean we have to leave?" cried the brunette as I continued to push both his and his little girlfriend's bodies out of the entrance of my apartment building. I had given them the pleasure of even sitting on my furniture as I jumped into the shower and dressed, which was more than a 'thank-you' for my new car in my eyes.

"Sora…" I started, glancing down at him. "Whose house were you just in?"

"Yours?" God, Sora! That question wasn't even that complicated!

"Exactly. My house, my rules. So both of you, out!" I gave them both a shove, more so Sora than Kairi because I'm not that much of a rude bastard, and dusted my hands of them.

"Aw c'mon, Cloud! Can't we just go for a quick drive in your car?" Sora's whine grated on my ears and I could only give a pout in response. "C'mon, please! Kairi still has to go to the store and it's not like we have any way of getting there!"

"You know, Sora? There's a new and spectacular invention called the bus. Why don't you both go try it out?" I sneered in response to Sora's glare. "That was the only reason you two broke into my house, isn't it?" Silence between the two of them. "I should have known. Why couldn't you two have just gotten a ride from your other friend…Riku?"

"Aw, he's like on house arrest because his cousin's moving here. I think they're helping him find a job or something like that."

"Riku has a cousin?" I questioned, not really hearing much from this boy's family at all. Other than Kairi, Riku was the only other teenager I could actually stand to be in the same room with. I couldn't help but see part of me as his personality, and I suppose that was what I found so tolerable.

"Yep, his name's Setzer. You won't be able to miss him. He has the trademark silver hair that just seems to run in Riku's family." Kairi explained. "I was actually supposed to stop by Riku's house because his mom asked me to get her some things from the store too."

"Hey, you didn't tell me that!" Once again, grating upon my ears. "Why didn't you say that?"

"Well, because I didn't want you bothering the three of them while they worked. No offense Sora, but you can tend to…distract people."

"Do not!"

"Do too." I heard myself say, practically unconsciously. The grimace on Sora's face was enough for me to relish in what I had done though. "Well, I can't really have you do all of this shopping by yourself. It's one thing that you're doing it for yourself, but now…well, I feel like I have to help this damsel in need." My word 'damsel' caused the redhead girl to blush.

"Wow, Cloud…you're a real Prince Charming, aren'tcha?" The snide remark didn't faze me as I lead Kairi to the passenger side of the car. Soon as we approached it, it opened up. I helped her inside before I moved to the driver's side of the car, it already opening for me. "Hey, Cloud! Didn't you hear me?" I didn't say anything as I slid into the still humming car and strapped the seatbelt around my torso. I saw the girl next to me follow my lead. Even with both of our doors closed, I could hear Sora still yelling to me. "Cloud! CLOUD! STOP IGNORING ME!" He walked close to the car, but found that none of the doors were opening. I had pressed the little red lock upon the touch screen while he had been yelling. I put a smirk on my face as he ran to my side and started to bang on the window, his muffled voice still coming through. "CUT IT OUT, CLOUD! THIS ISN'T FRIGGIN' FUNNY! OPEN THE DOOR, YOU—!" I set my hands upon the steering wheel, my foot on the accelerator and pushed down. The car slid into motion, and the boisterous brunette was bent on following us. This kid was clinically insane, I swear. "CLOUD! CLOUD! YOU'RE SUCH A—!" My revving of the engine drowned out whatever profanity he had just declared me. I waved to him as the car began to speed up, fast enough for Sora to be in a full sprint alongside it. Oh this was just too good.

Eventually, after going a good amount of blocks that is, I came to a stop sign and unlocked the car, the door behind me opening. I felt the boy's body weighed down the car in the back and I could hear him panting. He sat up, still panting with his seatbelt now around him.

"At least you'll be relatively quiet now." I chuckled to myself, Kairi even joining me in my triumph. Sora, much too tired to even think of a retort, just rested his head back and tried to maintain a steady supply of oxygen.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Omigosh, yes I know it's been much too long since I've updated this story. I'm sorry that I've been neglecting it, really I am! But, I've just now gotten a sort of swing back for writing it, so I plan on updating when I can. However, I've been in school for about a month now, so trust me, it will get in the way. But, hopefully, I will be able to finish this story! Reviews either encourage or inspire me, so please please leave a review! I enjoy all kinds!

And besides, this one's more meatier than the last one was. That's a plus, right? RIGHT?

_Grazi._


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